Blog
Alan Turing and Lionel, the “maths genius”
I am very much looking forward to seeing the film Codebreaker when it is released, describing the brilliant talent and shameful treatment of Alan Turning. A postcard of Turing's sculptured slate image taken from his statue which has pride of place at Bletchley Park,...
Sir Edgar Speyer – Banker, Traitor, Scapegoat, Spy?
Have you ever heard of Sir Edgar Speyer? The chances are that unless you have stayed at his former sprawling home on the North Norfolk coast where his story and sad demise is displayed in the lobby - now the splendid Sea Marge Hotel where I first heard of him - it is...
NGOs urged to apply for £6 billion euros of EU money
Six billion euros is up for grabs for NOGs from the European Commission to spend on health projects - but they must apply within the next six months before the time limit on this fund runs out. Petru Luhan MEP has urged health NGOs to apply for a share of this funding...
Personalised medicine – hype or hope?
In just over a week I shall be joining EuropaColon's dedicated team in Barcelona for the 2nd Colorectal Cancer Patient Conference which is attracting cancer patients and clinicians throughout Europe who will share valuable experiences. Tragically, colorectal cancer...
My childhood memories at Bletchley Park
We had a Father's Day outing yesterday to Bletchley Park and one of the stewards, Jean Cheshire, told me what it was like living there as a child with the code breakers when her father worked there during World War 2. I asked her if she had met Alan Turning. You will...
The holy grail for early cancer diagnosis takes a huge leap forward
The quest for the holy grail for early cancer detection has taken a huge leap forward following a major collaboration between Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Technology and Abcodia, the biomarker validation company with a focus on cancer screening. Through...
The world’s first tweeting garden
I met two ingenious guys at the Chelsea Flower Show, the Harfleet brothers, Paul and Tom, who introduced social media into a garden theme in collaboration with the University of Lincoln - winning a coveted gold medal too - by designing the world's first tweeting...
New ryegrass can help prevent flooding
Congratulations to researchers at Aberystwyth University who have developed a new ryegrass species which could help reduce the impact of flooding through its roots system. The hybrid can capture more water in soils than is possible with current agricultural grasses....
Angelina Jolie’s double mastectomy
I am stunned to learn that the beautiful actress Angelina Jolie has had a double mastectomy because she was at risk of developing breast cancer as she she carries the gene BRCA1 associated with this. Her mother had died of cancer at the age of 56. Angelina broke the...